Seelöwe
by Cruen07
Summary: One shot. In his fifth year Harry Potter's attempts to fight against the Voldemort and the Ministry attracts international attention. Written for my favorite school assignment in years.


"He couldn't win Harry thought to himself. Despite all the pain he had endured and all he had given to the struggle in the end he was left with the crushing realization that he had never stood a chance to begin with. Umbridge and the Ministry had driven Dumbledore from the school and silenced all opposition. Every day the Daily Prophet screamed slander and condemnation at the latest traitor who had given the powers that be some perceived slight. The latest headline said proudly, 'The Boy Who Lived to Tell Lies' A quick glance to the back of his hand reminded him of the scars the tauntingly said 'I must not tell lies'. In a way it almost didn't matter when and how Voldemort chose to make his return, the way the rules of the game were set up meant that Harry and those like him had already lost. The only way to win would be to change the rules and that was proving to be a potentially insurmountable challenge  
Harry's life had always been carefully regulated even by those who cared greatly for his well being. In the already small and insular British wizarding world he only knew a handful of people. Though he was aware of his wealth and fame he had no concept of how to wield either to his advantage. He needed an ally, a new player to the game to shake things up. The trouble was that even if he could get a message out through the monitors at the school, he couldn't think of anyone to send it to that was willing and able to help in England.  
His train of thought came to a screeching halt. He needed to reach outside of England. Last year he had saved the lives of both of the Delacour girls in rather dramatic fashion during the tournament. He didn't know what they could do to help but he was sure they would at least listen to what he had to considering what to say, Harry to his time to construct a letter explaining the situation. He gambled by revealing everything in the hopes of getting their attention. In it he explained all he knew about Voldemort, even discreetly alluding to "visions of him in the ministry". He explained the torture methods going on at the school under Umbridge's reign. He went on to detail the seeming collapse of the ministry into a pack of thugs that ruined everything they touched. He made sure to list the names of all the countless "former" death eaters that had escaped justice and now controlled everything. It was scathing, enlightening and very long. Finally satisfied with the letter he had put more effort and care into then any of his school papers, he needed to find a way to send it.  
His method of communication was almost childishly simple. The next week, the wonderful brilliant Luna Lovegood declared the need to go home for a family emergency. Her widower father, a man unable to deny his darling little girl anything, was perfectly willing to go along with it. While Luna was sharing hot coco and outlandish stories with her father, she found the time to post Harry's package.

Apolline Delacour, matriarch of the Delacour clan was outraged. As she read through the ream of papers that she had received her indignation only grew. She owed Harry dearly for her daughters lives and was happy to pay him back but what she was reading would have inspired the same reaction coming from anyone. Apolline did not wield any power of her own but she was a woman of wit, charm and wealth and she knew how to use all three to her advantage. A word in the ear of an mid-level bureaucrat and a donation to government charity ball suddenly became a meeting of important figures. A couple rumors started over tea with select society women and one rather mild case of black mail turned into an emergency council to discuss the growing British problem. A further public humiliation of an official who was up for re-election cleared the way for international organizations to get involved. Though Harry could not know through the information blackout that surrounded him, his letter had triggered the greatest international crisis in a generation.  
Spies were sent to gather information, diplomats started asking pointed questions and international businesses started quietly withdrawing expats form Britain. Tyrants and mad men both magical and non magical had left a permanent scar on the psyche of all European countries. Everyone remembered the bloodshed of Voldemorts previous rise to power while Kosovo and Syria had given them a great deal of concern about the government. The Magical Government of Britain was clearly a rogue dictatorship with great power at its disposal. As reports filtered back fears were only confirmed. Eventually non-magical organizations were brought into the fold. NATO and the UN were quietly this meant little to Harry, the rest of the year played out as painfully as it had so far. On the final day of school however everything came to a head. With Umbridge gone and the school in Chaos Harry called to everyone he could by any means available. With no proper response, Harry took it upon himself to launch a rescue mission for Sirius with every resource available. Just because no-one responded however didn't mean that no one heard.  
Magic is a funny thing and it creates odd rules that wouldn't fit in the muggle world. In his second year, Harry had breached the chamber of Secrets and retrieved the Gryffindor sword. This piece of magic incidentally declared Harry Potter as a noble peer of the realm in the line of Gryffindor. When he called for help, the international task force waiting in the wings could interpret that as a government official requesting aid. It was a ridiculous claim that would never hold up in international court but that would not matter after the fact. After centuries of failed attempts since the Norman conquest, the armies of France and Germany finally crossed the English Channel.

Harry's rescue attempt had turned into a war. In the attempt to escape the trap laid for them in the Ministry, they had drawn the attention of the order of the Phoenix which had in turn drawn the ministry. With the appearance of Dumbledore and Voldemort, it had become a chaotic melee where Harry and his friends could only take cover and wait out the storm. Into the madness of the melee the German and French magical peacekeepers came crashing down. One of the advantages of magic is that one had complete control over lethality. With the Death Eaters so graciously dressed in easily identifiable uniforms, the peacekeepers knew exactly who to stun and who to kill. Almost as shockingly quickly as the violence had started it came to a near silent end. Those that could beat a hasty retreat leaving the stunned survivors in the care of the peacekeepers. As everyone was being rounded up for treatment and imprisonment, Harry was brought before a scowling French colonel by the name of Le'clere who seemed singularly unimpressed with the babbling British Minister of Magic before him. He looked up to see Harry and let the ghost of a grin pass over his face. He said "Ah, Lord Potter I'm so glad we were able to locate you in time, there is much to explain but it can wait, tonight you should rest, tomorrow the international council wishes to hear the beginnings of your testimony about the state of things here in Britain."  
Fudge jumped on the remote chance he saw before him "Harry my boy, you'll tell him about the great work the government has been doing on your behalf right? I can count on you?"  
Despite his complete bewilderment, Harry was able to keep composure enough to seize the opportunity for revenge. A predatory smile grew on his face and he said "But Minister, remember? I must not tell lies!"


End file.
